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The differences between biology research assistants and research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a biology research assistant and a research assistant. Additionally, a biology research assistant has an average salary of $50,800, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.
The top three skills for a biology research assistant include laboratory equipment, laboratory techniques and cell culture. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.
| Biology Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $50,800 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $24.42 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 50,666 | 51,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A biological research assistant's role is to perform support tasks for biologists and researchers. Their responsibilities typically revolve around organizing samples and research documents, updating databases, reviewing documents, summarizing results into reports and presentations, handling calls and correspondence, coordinating with external parties, and running errands. There are also instances when a biological research assistant prepare laboratories and instruments, cleaning and sanitizing them as needed. Furthermore, one can also perform experiments and analyses under the supervision or directives of a more experienced researcher.
Research assistants give support to researchers or other professionals who need assistance as they conduct experiments, studies, or other research projects. Research assistants help in conducting experiments, surveys, or interviews under the supervision of the primary researcher. They also work on research activities such as literature reviews, collect data, assist in interpreting results, prepare designs or visuals for the presentation of the results, and even ensure that all the tools and documentation related to the study are properly organized. They also assist in fact-checking the output and ensure that the data presented are accurate. Research assistants usually possess an academic background that is related to the main research topic.
Biology research assistants and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biology Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $50,800 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $78,000 | Between $28,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | New Brunswick, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Battelle | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a biology research assistant and a research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Biology Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between biology research assistants' and research assistants' demographics:
| Biology Research Assistant | Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |